Covid - left with cigerette smell?

[Snufflebabe05]

I had covid in October. Was ill for about a week, but seemed to recover well. At the time, I lost all sense of taste and smell. I gradually got my taste back, but my sense of smell initially was only cigarette smoke. Then, over weeks, gradually I got some sense of smell back but it’s no where near what it was. I have been left with intermittent smell of cigarette smell. At times, it’s over powering. I wake up during the night frightened that the house is on fire because all I can smell is smoke.

Is this common? When will it stop? No-one in my family is a smoker and it’s the worse smell. It’s really getting me down.

I think although not common it's a recognised aspect of it. With COVID, my DH could smell cigarette smoke all the time, and even now gets it occasionally. It has decreased massively in frequency and intensity though.

I had exactly this - drove me mad. But it did go, I can't remember exactly how long, but less than a month. You need to retrain your sense of smell. Try sniffing strong scents, all different types. Good luck

I have this too, also had covid in October. Weirdly it didn't start straight away, maybe about a month ago? I only really get it at home, often when I'm in bed. I'm assuming it's your nasal cells repairing and being a bit wonky?

I had covid in September, afterwards I had cigarette smell (like I was sat in an enclosed room with someone chainsmoking) for around 4 weeks.

I still get it occasionally but not for as long periods. My sense of smell is not back at all though I can only smell things every now and again or if somethings really strong and I’m worried it never will come back properly.

Things I can smell also smell wrong as well, hand wash, shampoo and perfume all smell musty and off. I hate it.

I got quite depressed with the cigarette smell, thought it would never go and it was 24/7 strong as well. Mine started around a month after I got over the virus.

I’ve had this a few times after a bad cold/flu virus. Something to do with viral damage to the olfactory system I think. It’s horrible, sorry you’re experiencing it OP!

That’s strange my son has been very poorly all symptoms of covid but negative lateral flows. He visited my house yesterday and said who’s been smoking ? We don’t smoke and no one has been in my house, let alone any one smoking, he said if was very strong.
I hate my house to smell, so have been cleaning like mad 🤣

I have chronic anosmia (not covid related) and I get the phantom smoke smell too. Have you tried smell training? Also steroid nasal spray can help.

I got this too, lasted for months! Weirdly it came back last night after two months "smoke free"!

Dh hasn't got the smell malfunction but taste.
He has a permanent taste of onions in his mouth. Every meal tastes if onions as well. I was off work for a couple if weeks and wanted to try out loads of new meals. A complete waste of time that turned out to be.
A few people in our office have the smoke smell symptom. It's been going on for months now.
Strange days!

Yep me too. Had it back in august. The smoke smell has lessened but I still get it.

It’s burning for me rather than cigarette smoke but yes, I think this is fairly normal.

My DS has had this since last Summer.

Not a cigarette smell as such, but a smell he can't really describe.

Yes I had this, I believe I had covid back in march 2020, it was more frequent in the months after but it’s reduced slowly. I just had it this morning after a long time. I also have tinnitus so this additional sensory onslaught was making me feel quite depressed.

It hardly happens now. I find things like burning toast from the toaster would set it off so I would avoid these situations. I hope it improves for you, cigarette smoke is such a nasty smell as well

I had Covid in November, lost all taste and smell for about ten days, and have had a weird phantom taste/smell since, which is very gradually tailing off. Mine is sort of cabbagey rather than smoky though. My friend had a permanent taste of ash for about six weeks after her Covid, but that has slowly gone away.

WHAT THE HELL I've been googling 'can smell cigarettes' etc for the 6 months or more... Never got an answer.

I tested positive for covid in October but the lab advised it had been a historic infection at some point in the past and just showed as a trace.

Buy some essential oils - Lavender , Tea Tree , and Mint are strong smelling . Sniff each of them for a while to see if you can smell them . Repeat a few times a day . Then once you start to get your sense of smell back , challenge yourself to guess which one you are smelling.

I have it still after having had Covid in November but very faint (I lost sense of smell but only for a few days) and mostly in the bedroom for some reason. This makes me wonder if it is a particular smell which my brain is now telling me is cigarette smoke, as I smell it in some places but not others.